1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to networked copiers/printers and more particularly to an apparatus and method to facilitate a user""s set-up of production jobs for running the copier and/or printer while the user is at a remote location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, copier and/or printers are known wherein a job either scanned or generated by, for example, a computer or word processor is stored along with other jobs in a file server. Alternatively, provision may be made for scanned jobs to be input to the copier""s job image buffer without waiting in the file server""s queue. Details for printing the job such as number of copies and other well known details can be set-up at a remote terminal and the job file sent to a server where the job is queued and waits its turn for sending to the copier and/or printer (hereinafter copier/printer). If there is a need to change the job production requirements or the priority in the queue, the list of jobs waiting in the queue is available to the user at the remote terminal and adjustments may be made. There is thus provided the advantage that users at remote locations from the copier/printer may make adjustments or provide copy or print job (both hereinafter referred to as print jobs) set-ups without the need to actually be present at the machine.
A problem, however, is that users of the copier/printer, in order to have this access, must have the same software packages and same types of computer system platforms, i.e., IBM PCs, Apple Computers or Sun Microsystems workstations. A site system administrator may have to load and administer this software on multiple platforms and hundreds of computers. When upgrade is needed, each machine using this software needs to have the software updated.
A second problem exists in that there is no interaction with the copier/printer until the print job is actually sent. Since most printers today do not support bidirectional communication, the user of the system must go to the copier/printer to see if their job has printed.
It is an object of the invention (1) to provide a user interface to all users on the Internet and/or intranet without loading software packages on every computer system and (2) provide real-time communication with the copier/printer during job setup. After the print job is submitted to the copier/printer, the user will be able to query the system remotely, to check on the status of their print job. To access the user interface remotely, the user will use a Java-enabled Web Browser. To upgrade software, the site system administrator will only need to load the new software in one place (on the copier/printer). The next time a user accesses the copier/ printer with their Web Browser, a new Java applet will be downloaded to their machine.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a copier or printer apparatus for providing printed copies in accordance with instructions provided by respective remote users of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising a marking engine for printing copies of information; a user interface supervisor for controlling interface between users and the marking engine; and a network web server which downloads software to a computer at a remote location to which a remote user has access to provide user interface software for establishing a user operational interface for communicating requirements for a print job to the user interface supervisor for printing by the marking engine.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a copier or printer apparatus having a marking engine for providing printed copies in accordance with instructions provided by respective remote users of the apparatus, the method comprising operating a network web server to download software to a computer at a remote location to which a remote user has access to provide user interface software for establishing a user operational interface display on the computer for use in communicating requirements for a print job for printing by the marking engine; and operating the marking engine for printing copies of information in accordance with the requirements for the print job